2008 A Year of Growth as we Build a Winning Team for the Youth of Our Community

The Mary Virginia Merrick Youth Center, on the grounds of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, at 4265 Fourth Street, Southeast Washington, DC opened its doors in May! In the past decades, this quadrant of Ward 8 in Washington DC has fallen into a state of neglect and apathy. With the financial help of the Christ Child Society, the DC Dept of Housing and Community Development, and private donations, the Mary Virginia Merrick Center was made a reality.
The Center has already made an impact on the youth in the community with an opportunity for organized sports and youth programs utilizing the space in order to nurture healthy athletic and socialization skills.

In Montgomery County, The Archdiocese of Washington acquired the former St Andrews Lutheran Church. The building was renamed The Archbishop McCarrick Center and VYC has been asked to manage this gym. VYC has now refinished the floor and installed new basketball backstops. The paint had hardly dried before youth sports teams were calling to book space.

This gym is a welcome addition to the neighborhood due to the dramatic lack of available gym space in Mid-Montgomery County. Among the new found users of the McCarrick gym are the Bulls Soccer teams, a collection of youth travel teams of both boys and girls. In addition VYC has a focused vision to host other children in Montgomery County with special needs to use the newly refurbished McCarrick gym.

The "Katie Fitzgerald Youth Recreation Center" in Darnestown, MD continues to flourish. At the "Katie Fitz," The first Victory Youth Center, organized youth sports teams, of all variety continue to utilize the space. All sorts of youth teams of all variety are using the gym for practices, leagues and tournament play. The "Katie Fitz" gym and its meeting rooms are on demand seven days a week.